Notes Harmonies

After the successful World in Sound debut of Fred's first album of progressive/psychedelic rock, Fred returns with a second album featuring the continued growth of their original and innovative sound. Lots of heavy electric guitar, progressive electric violin with fusion/ classical overtones, massive rock drums and bass, swirling garage rock organ, funky/jazzy electric piano and heavenly vocal harmonies all mix together to create music that is uniquely Fred. Influenced by Frank Zappa, King Crimson and Mahavishnu, with echoes of 70's rock bands like Traffic, Procol Harum, Jethro Tull and The Allman Brothers, these performances sound like something else entirely. The eight instrumental and three vocal tracks (2 with lyrics) are at the highest level of musical proficiency and creativity in the progressive rock genre. Included as a bonus track is the trippy, late-night studio jam on War's "Slippin' Into Darkness" that will blow your mind.

Pamela Thorby has been recording for Linn for most of the label’s existence, both as ensemble player and soloist. This time she joins Andrew Lawrence-King (except for a few unaccompanied pieces) in a varied program of music of the 16th and 17th centuries. In his notes, the harpist has an explanation for the disc title in the literary use of the garden as a place of earthly delights (Hieronymus Bosch’s allusion) where lovemaking is accompanied by recorders and plucked strings. His essay lucidly explains some of the terminology too often taken for granted in music of this period. Diego Ortiz, in Trattado de glosas of 1553, illustrated three ways of playing music on instruments; hence the program uses three of his examples at the beginning, middle, and end of this program.